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False Utopia: War's Beginning
Preparations Sesshōmaru was sitting in front of the crystal ball. The spirit of Kyūmu was gone, but the damage was done. In more ways than one. "I am the spirit of Kyūmu. Your plan, thoughtful as it was, will soon come to an end." The Crystal Ball began to crack. "Sesshōmaru, I'm afraid you're fired." Her face continued to obscure the crystal ball, making it impossible for Sesshōmaru to focus on the Kurosaki family. He frowned remembering this. A Zanpakutō spirit materializing into the real world when it's user hadn't even learned Bankai was puzzling enough, but the fact that it could manage to crack the crystal ball, a product of a very powerful Shindō spell. And Seiryoku had no doubt release the spell on the family. Killing them was their only option now. He closed his eyes as Lynterria appeared next to him. "Lynterra, go wake everyone up. We've got a matter to attend to." He ordered. "Hm? Ok." She bounded out of the room, running first to Taiki's room. She banged hard on the door. "Taiki-chan, rise 'n shine!" WHAM! She should not have banged so hard - for the Kurosaki reacted to loud noises. She was the fortunate victim to be knocked away the moment Taiki forced open the door. A rather bored look was on his features despite the enthusiasm in his actions. He raised his free hand (his other hand was still on the knob) to scratch his ear with his pinky finger. "Fire....?" He asked lazily, looking around in order to find the one that loudly knocked on his door. The one who had knocked so loudly was on the ground, rubbing her nose. She got up, and immediately whacked Taiki over the head. "Watch where you're swingin' that door idiot!" She said, her nose looking slightly broken. "Ow!" Wincing at the blow, Taiki hunched over a little. A hand reached instinctively to rub the spot where she had delivered the attack. "Well, it's not my fault you couldn't just wake me up a little bit more gently!" He complained in a slightly childish manner. "Whatcha do that for, anyway? I was having a nice nap...." "Sesshōmaru told me to wake everyone up." She snapped, obviously still irritated. "Just go meet 'im, I gotta go wake up the others." She walked off, hand on her nose, grumbling. After sticking his tongue out, Taiki retreated back into his room in order to get ready. Inwardly, he grimaced; most likely, this would be a meeting to discuss Sesshōmaru's epic failure and for them to clean up his mess. The deeper this was heading into, the less faith he was having in their so-called leader. Even the subordinates were still willing to follow him, even after this! For the very first time, he was hoping his family would succeed in their endeavor. If they did all the work.... then he wouldn't have to raise his sword at all. But first.... a nice shower would wake him up. Lynterria went around the base, waking everyone up, before regrouping back at near the center. Sesshōmaru was standing there, his hood on as usual, hiding his face from view. Shinsetsu rushed to his side the moment she got there. Daiyaku, Jōchō and Lynterria were present. "Now we just need Taiki." Sesshōmaru murmured. It would take a total of thirty minutes, before Taiki stepped onto the scene. His gait was calm and slow as he approached the rest of the group, his eyes half-lidded, and the light lost from his pupils. The smile, false as it had always been, was plastered onto his face. "G'day, ladies and gents...." He greeted casually, as if forgetting the hostilities from the day before. "How is everyone this fine morning?" "Bloodthirsty." Jōchō said, gesturing to his brother. Sesshōmaru cleared his throat. "As you all know, we've reached a hitch in the plan." His voice sounded as if he hated to admit this. "The "hitch" lies in the heart of Taiki's family. Seiryoku undid the spell on his family members and now they are aware. Because they are not under the influence of the spell, erasing them is not possible. Killing them is our only option." "Correct me if I'm wrong, Sesshōmaru-san." Taiki's voice, at that opportune time, decided to cut through his speech before he could continue any further. He placed his hands on the back of his head, a rather bored look on his face. "But, at the start of this, you had told me that you would not harm my family, did you not?" His tone, despite having its usual casual feeling, had something else more in it. Only the ones that completely knew him could tell that he was already showing malevolence. "I do not recall." Sesshōmaru said dismissively. "When I told you of the spell, I said I would not kill your sister. That's all I said." Taiki shrugged. "Either way, I believe we have a problem. The entire goal of this plan was to create a world where violence would not exist. If the one who created such an idea engages in the thing that they despise the most, then where would his followers go? Surely, once the leader discards his ideals, the rest will follow suit. And, since this little flaw was unexpected to even the creator of this spell, I'd rather not risk any more facts turning out to be nothing more than fabrication. The only thing we can do right now is retreat and keep them off of our trails." Sesshōmaru frowned. He did have a point. He was acting ti impulsively. "What if they meet up with us?" Daiyaku asked. "Can we kill them then?" "They're not going to meet up with us if we actually do things right this time...." Daiyaku sighed. He sounded disappointed. Shinsetsu glared at Taiki, thinking he was blaming her brother for the plan going wrong, but said nothing. Sesshōmaru placed his hand on the crystal ball and took it. "We'll proceed with Taiki's plan. Let's move." ---- In the Kurosaki House, the family was scattered around the home, doing various things to get ready. They fully intended to pursue Taiki and co., though Kyūi still had her doubts. Adela was sitting in a chair, thinking things over. Kyuui, because she wasn't one of the strength department, would be fitted with only the Zanpakutō she possessed, the sheathed sword currently secured to her back. She was lying on the couch, sprawled out and faced upward. Her red eyes were staring straight up at the ceiling, and doubt swam her mind like a turtle through open sea waters. Of course, the plan had been clear; pursue and stop the vampire-like entities from continuing what they believed was a utopian idea. But she was still conflicted. Although she had knew for sure what she said when she spoke about bringing her father back, she just wasn't sure on how to do so. How would he react? How would she convinced him? What if he refused? She feared that all of this would be a major problem when finally facing him.... and she was scared. She was afraid of failing her father, after all the success he had taught her.... and if she did, she knew the consequences. "Oh, Tou-san.... only you would've known what to do in this situation...." She thought, staring at the ceiling in a pained manner. Miharu was outside on the porch, Kyūmu in her hand. She was the one that was going to have to fight Taiki her father said. She had to be ready. She had been practicing with Kyūmu for ages, and as far as she knew, her brother wasn't aware of it's powers. Only her father and Ezra knew. And with her Zanpakutō's power, she'd have the advantage of constant surprise. She sighed. She didn't feel like she was ready for this...but all she had to do was be creative. She got up and walked into the house. "How much longer 'till we get going?" She asked when she saw Megami. "As soon as everyone's ready...." Her mother answered, having sat herself into one of the nearby chairs of the living room. Her eyes were closed in thought. "Or at least, when Seiryoku gets fully prepared." "No need to rush on my account." Seiryoku replied, having just descended the stairs. He was dressed in a different outfit than he had been when he faced Taiki. A white jacket with a rather high collar and long coattails, with black sash, a white hakama black tabi and waraji, very similar to an Arrancar's outfit. He looked ready to set out. "We can wait till everyone is ready. We don't need casualties." "I'm ready...." Kyuui allowed herself to say, raising herself up. "Where's the rest of us....?" "Last I saw of Ahatake, he said he was testing something. Hopefully he'll be down." Seiryoku explained as Adela entered. She looked as if she hadn't slept well. "Kaa-san...." That immediately forced Kyuui up and on her feet. She walked over towards the rather exhausted woman, raising her hands up in concern. "Are you sure you want to come with us? You look quite terrible...." She asked softly, deciding to escort the woman the rest of the way to her destination. Adela forced a smile. "I'm fine Kyūi, don't worry about me at all." She said, the smile fading as she looked up. Ahatake was descending the stairs, also wearing an Arrancar like outfit, a white shirt with a white jacket over neath, both having raised collars, a black sash, white hakama, black tabi and waraji. His Zanpakutō was hanging loosely at his waist. "Sorry if I was holding everyone up. I needed to try something out." "What, a new fashion sense?" Megami remarked in a joking manner, smiling behind her hand. "I don't see what would be the point of that if you're just going to get ruffled up later...." "I prefer to fight in clothing like this than in a suit." Ahatake replied. "Besides, these clothes are made for "getting ruffled up"." "Now that Tō-san's here, do we start moving?" Miharu asked. "Yes, I think that's all of us, and I believe we're prepared." Megami agreed with her daughter, allowing herself to rise out of her seat. Though she claimed to be prepared, she knew the fighting up ahead would be difficult, especially with such a level of opponents. One of her hands was placed comfortably on her hilt - she herself would be mentally ready to combat what was up ahead. However, she idly wondered if Ahatake's insistence on allowing Miharu to fight her older brother was necessary. "Let's get moving. Seiryoku, care to lead the way?" "Of course." Seiryoku replied, appearing in front of them with Kenpo, his coattails fluttering. "Let's get moving." The Hunt They took off, Seiryoku in the lead. He was the most attuned to Sesshōmaru and his groups spiritual pressure, so it was easier for him to track them. They were heading towards the outskirts of the region, towards the forest. This was immediately noticed by the white-haired daughter of the traitor, as she huffed a little. "It's always in the forest, isn't it?" She complained, folding her arms across her chest as she Flash Stepped in order to keep up with the rest of them. "Perhaps the bad guys just have good taste." Aoi replied, gripping a brance and leaping from it. It was clear that she enjoyed forests very much, despite the fact that Kyuui had once rejected her in a forest. "Forests are among the ideal places to hide." Seiryoku replied. "Various trees of different witdhs and heights, it's easy to conceal yourself in here." "But we've fought in them like.... I donno. Several times!" Kyuui continued on, feeling a need to continue the conversation. It was a means to distract her from what was to come.... at least, for the moment. "One would be so normal as to ask for a change of scenery, for once!" "There's nothing wrong with a good healthy forest." Ahatake replied. "The world of the living is losing alot of their forests you know. Be grateful we have them up here." "Hmph...." Though Kyuui was silent, she folded her arms across her chest, a rather poutish expression on her face. She didn't mind having forests to explore in - after all, it was life! But, still.... The sky began to grow cloudy as Miharu's facial expression changed to one of worry. She still wasn't sure if she would be ready to face Taiki. Far ahead of them, Lynterria looked up. "Looks like it's gonna rain. That good or bad?" "Huh?" Taiki himself decided to look up, spotting the rain clouds. He raised an eyebrow. "Does that truly matter? It just means that we're probably gonna catch a cold if we don't hurry to shelter!" He answered for her. He wasn't really concerned about the threat behind him - after all, they could escape easily! They managed to evade Yuurei patrols for who knows how long, what was different in this situation? "If I catch a cold, I'm giving it to you." Lynterria replied, rolling her eyes. Daiyaku was looking behind them, and his facial expression seemed to soften momentarily before returning to it's normal state. "They're most likely going to catch us." He thought, smiling. He seemed to look forward to it. "Aw....." This made Taiki hang his head down in a comically sad manner. "Must you be so mean to me, Lynterria-chan?" Lynterria's face turned light pink, but she said nothing. Rain began to pour down on them as they moved. Lynterria had been right about the rain. "Now what?" She asked. "Keep moving?" "We've got no choice...." Sesshōmaru created a small "barrier" around the entire group that repelled the rain drops as they moved. "There. Now you can move without worrying, Lynterria." "Silver, what exactly do we do when they find us?" Daiyaku asked Taiki. For a moment, Taiki folded his arms across his chest and thought for a moment. "Well.... if they manage to corner us.... we have pretty much no choice but to fight." He admitted. "So, you'd better be prepared to take up arms as soon as possible." "I look forward to it." Daiyaku replied. The hunting team was running faster soaked by the rain. "I can feel their energies." Seiyroku said, still in the lead. "We're not far off, but the moment we get there, be ready to fight!" This time, Taiki remained silent. However, he had been far more than prepared for such an encounter. He could easily handle himself against one of his own family, particularly his father. But the question was; who would he actually engage in combat? Everytime they fought, the family members did try to handle their opponents one-on-one each (except when the opponent was particularly powerful). It would be interesting how it would play out.... Seiryoku increased his speed and the rest of the team followed suit. It wouldn't be much longer now. Taiki and his group were coming into view, though they were still far off. "And here they are." Daiyaku said, his voice filled with satisfaction. "!" That was when Taiki looked. Sure enough, their pursuers were right behind them, only dimly visible. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh, my...." He remarked. "I do hope we're not cornered, Sesshōmaru... otherwise, this might prove to be quite troublesome." Despite the situation he was in, his tone remained non-chalant and slightly playful. It was as if there was no real threat following him. "I hope we are." Daiyaku replied. "I'm itching to kill." Sesshōmaru looked behind. "It's all a matter of speed. If we're faster than them, I doubt we'll be cornered." As he spoke he didn't seem too worried. "Put the pedal to the metal, as they say." "Right...." As they increased their speed, Seiryoku's eyes widened. "We're losing them." He said, sounding worried. "We should mo-" But Ahatake cut him off. He took the lead, his hand glowing red. "Cero!" He cried, launching an excessively large blast of red energy at the fleeing group. "And yet they persist...." That was when Taiki decided to allow himself to fall behind a little, his body turning towards the Cero just as it was close enough. He unsheathed his sword, his blade colliding the blast in half. However, he couldn't find himself to cut it open completely. He braced himself, the Cero being cut in two halves and dissolving around him. "Keep it moving!" He shouted out to the others. "They're trying to slow us down!!!" The group kept moving, but Ahatake launched another Cero at Taiki, and nodded to Miharu, which she took as her cue to charge Taiki. She launched herself forward, lagging behind the Cero only slightly. They were trying to separate him from the rest of the group. As Taiki performed the same maneuver, he sensed the other signature: Miharu. He quirked an eyebrow - was the child really willing to face him all on her own? It was a shame that he had other plans.... grinning, he decided to give a warning to the rest of the group. "Heads up!!!" He shouted, before performing a Flash Step to jump out of the way. The Cero continued on unopposed, and he followed its trail in order to escape. Miharu tore after him, the rest of the group following Sesshōmaru's group. As Miharu grew frustrated with her brother's speed, lightning began to flash and thunder roared. "Wait up Onī-san!" Miharu cried out, but her voice wa snearly drown out over the thunder. But he heard her voice as clear as day... Now, he had a choice. Leave her behind and stick with the main group? Or allow him to part ways here and allow his sister to catch up? If he selected the latter.... the blossom of his betrayal would be easily shown. He would not have to deal with the burden of killing Sesshōmaru, but rather drop it on Seiryoku and the family. He supposed it would be easier to have a little exchange with his younger sister rather than having to deal with the all-out skirmish. As he began to fall back, taking an alternate route, Miharu wasn't the only one chasing him. Breaking away from the group, Kyuui had decided to pursue him, eyes narrowed in a look of determination as she did so. "I'm not going to abandon you, Father...!" She thought to herself, taking her place by the younger girl's side in order to give chase. Miharu drew her sword. If speed was the deciding factor, she'd never catch him. "Improvise, Kyūmu." She called out her Zanpakutō's name and it transformed into what appeared to be a hooked-lasso. That was not needed. For once, when Taiki was sure he would stop, he allowed the rest of the family to pass by his head and stopped in his tracks, landing on the ground. However, he didn't yet turn his back to them, watching them head off. Idly, he wondered how it would turn out. Would Sesshomaru crush them? Or would Ahatake prevail? Either way, he hoped it would not be an easy victory - he didn't want to waste precious energy, after all. Kyuui landed beside him, her eyes shifting to Miharu. "Try to be careful when using that...." She advised softly. "My father's likely to figure out your ability quickly, so it's best to conceal it as much as possible." "Who's to say he doesn't already know it?" Miharu asked, the lasso gripped tight in her hands. "You have a better idea?" "You know...." However, Taiki's voice calmly cut through the conversation. Promptly, he sheathed his blade, resting his hand onto the hilt as he turned to face both daughter and sister. "If you're gonna whisper.... you might wanna do it in a softer voice." He advised, grinning casually. Despite the situation, Kyuui was slightly embarrassed, but was more alert than anything, her hand immediately placing itself upon her own sword. "And, besides that.... if you're gonna fight me.... why'd you challenge me alone? You sure I won't be able to cut you down before you even get a chance to raise your weapons?" Miharu turned to look at him, the rain beating down on all of them. "Onī-san!" Her weapon immediately changed from a lasso to a three-bladed scythe, ready for battle at the slightest moment. "What's wrong with you? Why did you side with...them? And why did you nearly kill Seiryoku-san?" "Must you ask so many questions?" However, Taiki only responded with nothing more than a complaint, a hand placed to his head for emphasis of his exasperation. "And especially in this awful storm, too.... you know, for a little sister, you're quite demanding!" Despite the situation, and despite his obvious threat, he showed a coy tone in his voice, almost as if they weren't in danger of killing each other. Lightning flashed as Taiki's tone began to irritate Miharu. "Don't skate over my questions. Answer them!" "Fine, fine...." Deciding to humor her, Taiki decided to relent for the moment. "To answer the first question...." He placed a finger to his chin, pretending to think for a moment. Even if he was thinking at the moment, the torrential downpour that was washing them would've made it difficult to bring up any fully coherent thoughts. "There's nothing wrong with me.... I'm not sick, and really, I don't think I'm suffering from any mental disease just yet. I'm just as healthy as a multi-decade-old man can be...." Now, this was starting to irk Kyuui a little, but she didn't allow herself to draw her sword.... yet. For the moment, she decided to remain silent. Miharu's eyes flashed. She was ready now. She took off charging right towards Taiki and raised her scythe. She slashed it down, all three blades glinting in the flashing lightning. "!!!!" What was Miharu attempting to do?! This caused Kyuui to widen her eyes. Miharu would be killed in this manner! Immediately, she was forced to assist, rushing after the girl in order to finally draw her sword. "Second question." However, Taiki wasn't yet ready to allow her the honor to fight. With a swift movement, he back-stepped the attack, the blades slicing the very air in front of him. "Why did I side with them....?" He continued to speak, naturally forming the answers to her question. "There, my dear sister, is where you are mistaken. There is no siding with them. That would be saying that they were my allies, my companions... I'm not so stupid as to start putting my trust in such delusional fools." This statement, as it ended, was followed up by the white-haired girl leaping over Miharu's head and swinging down onto her father in an attempt seemingly to cut him in half. However, once again, he avoided the attack with a few steps, not bothering to draw his blade just yet. "Then what's the point of not being with us? Why are you fleeing with them!?" Miharu asked angrily. "Do I really need a reason....?" In response, Taiki fired back his own comment, calmly deciding to step towards his sister. For a moment, he continued to hold that bored expression as he walked towards her, unphased by the weapon that was easily capable of tearing through his flesh. He even had his hands at his sides, almost as if boasting that he could beat her simply with her own hands. On the other hand, he didn't even seem too ready to attack her, either. Was he trying to goad her into killing him....? Or was he simply showing his own readiness to be accepted back into their group? Both of the notions were thrown out the window, as soon as that maniacal smile crossed his face. "Obviously because it's interesting!!!!" Then, without warning, he drew his sword, unleashing an ferocious uppercut swing as his first attack. Miharu held out her scythe in front of her, blocking Taiki's strike, and jumped back. She charged right back in, launching the scythe from her hand. It flew forward, spiraling and ready to cut. "She blocked my first strike....." It was a rather surprising observation. However, Taiki's emotions didn't surface, even as he raised his own sword to block. As their blades collided once more, he silently noted a good amount of strength within her. But, sadly, it would not be enough to push his own immense physical power back. However, as he prepared to push her back, Kyuui once again made her move, using a side-swipe in order to attack. With his own agility, he managed to once again avoid being cut down, taking a few steps back. Maybe he would make it back just in time to see the loser of the other bout.... Miharu's hands began to be surrounded by water. She charged towards Taiki, and released two bullets of water at Taiki, aiming for his feet. He would toy with them a little. Before the bullets could reach him, the white-haired man vanished from his spot, re-appearing within a heartbeat in front of his little sister. He had appeared into a crouch position, sword slung onto his shoulder. However, all he had done was sit there, still grinning at her ferally. He made no move to attack her, no move to kill.... he just sat there. An act of intimidation, mockery, and teasing, all into one action.... And it was succeeding in angering Miharu something that was not easily done. Lightning flashed down, right next to Taiki, missing him by an inch. Miharu's arms opened as if for a hug, and a large ball of water began to form there. The anger did not show on her face, but it was being shown in her powers. The ball, fully formed, was about the size of a large boulder. It shrunk...only to expand again immediately, releasing itself in the form of a large and bone-crushing wave. ....much better. As Kyuui looked on in astonishment, taking a step back, Taiki didn't allow himself to move just yet. The wave came forth, seemingly enveloping him in its waters. Kyuui was forced to take refuge into the air, using a Flash Step in order to get to her destination. Such a display of power of nature....! If she wasn't careful, Miharu could end up injuring her, too! Lifting the water up, Miharu, assuming Taiki was still inside, shaped it into a whirling sphere in the air, and placed it in the path of a lightning bold, which hit it's mark, and electricity flowed throughout the orb. "....you missed." Of course, Taiki wasn't one to be so easily trapped. Now, he was right behind her, blade lifted over his head. If she was kneeling and/or lying down, he would've had the position of an executor, ready to strike the intended target down. There was no hesitation in his movements; he wasn't even acknowledging the fact that Miharu was his sister. All that he was thinking now, even as he swung the blade down and followed up with several rapid counter-strikes, was that the girl in front of him was nothing more than an enemy. A shame killing her off, with such great potential.... Miharu wouldn't have been able to block the blade, not without some injury. However, at that moment, the earth began to shake, startling Miharu. The earthquake threw off Taiki's aim, and Miharu jumped back unscathed. "An earthquake?" She thought as the shaking stopped. "Surprising, but great timing." She stanced herself, waiting for Taiki to make the first move. "Ah, I see....." Slowly, Taiki lowered his sword blade, settling into the same stance as with his confrontation with Seiryoku. "I've got to admit, you are more dangerous than I expected!" He commented lightly. "If your fighting abilities matched that of your Zanpakutō, I don't think I would be able to beat you... However..." SWIPE! At that moment, Taiki barely managed to avoid being sliced in half by Kyuui's blade. Without hesitation, he raised his blade against her, and the two clashed fiercely. At a younger time, Kyuui would've never been able to even land a scratch onto the man. However, as she fought, her swordsmanship skills were showing. Every swing, every block, every strike... she was capable of taking on perfectly, allowing instinct to flow naturally. Though Taiki didn't seem phased by the skill, he silently noted it to be a great jump up to what she had been. That, along with the resolve to defeat (and potentially kill) him only strengthened her skills. Quite a good road.... Others Meanwhile, Ahatake and company were pursuing the Taishoku Kokumin, and they were gaining. Aoi cleared her throat. "Guys, I think I'm going to head back to help out Kyūi and Miharu." "No." Megami was the first one to shoot her down, eyes still looking at the group they were chasing. "They're too far behind now, and they've each other to rely on." Against a group such as Sesshomaru's, they would need all the help they could get, as well. If Aoi left, that would only mean one less person to help defeat the Taishoku. Aoi frowned but said nothing. Ahatake cleared his throat. "We're nearing them." "I know." The group began to become visible, and Ahatake began to charge yet another Cero. He launched it quickly, but Shinsetsu turned around, and the Cero disappeared. Ahatake was surprised, but he didn't have much time for that. He felt a small amount of heat, and saw a Cero coming at them all from behind. "How?!?"" He though, launching himself towards the Cero and cutting it in half. "...." Megami looked on silently as he performed these actions before turning back around and continuing her movements forward. Whatever the girl's power was, it seemed to revolve around the concept of re-direction. That would be a problem for at least energy attacks. Silently, she wondered how it would be effectively countered.... and maybe even neutralized.... Shinsetsu resumed fleeing with her group, but Ahatake took off with Sonído, Seiryoku following quickly. "It seems like we're going to have to fight." Lynterria murmured. "They're not going to give up their pursuit anytime soon." Daiyaku looked pleased at this, but Sesshōmaru sighed. "You may be right." He turned around to face the group, flying backwards without a care. "Bakudō 63, Sajo Sabaku." From his hand protruding what looked like a long, glowing chain that flew towards Ahatake and crew, aiming to bind them. "Look out!" Megami was the first one to alert the rest of the family as the result of the attack on her person. Immediately, she took action, using a ''Flash Step to avoid the chain by herself. She hoped the rest of them had gotten the message in time.... otherwise.... They each took action, Seiryoku and Aoi, but Ahatake of course took the offensive approach, batting the chain away with him sword before continuing the pursuit. Sesshōmaru had hoped to use an unoffensive Kidō to bind the group. That failed, and it rather saddened him. He placed both hands in front of him. "Shakkahō!" Spiraling in his hand was a ball of red flaming energy and he let it loose. It spiraled towards the group, burning the ground. This time, Megami allowed herself to take the lead. Immediately pushing herself in front of the chasing group, she unsheathed her blade quickly and swung as the blast came close. Under her own immense strength, the blast was cut in two cleanly. A small smile of triumphance was seen, before it faded back into a look of seriousness. Sesshōmaru raised his hand, signalling his group to halt. Ahatake, surprised, stopped as well, and his group soon followed suit. The wind began to blow, whipping the rain in their faces as Sesshōmaru began to speak. "It doesn't seem like you'll give up your pursuit. So...we have no choice but to fight." Ahatake nodded. "I thought you were never going to stop running." "Lynterria, you take the Arrancar, Daiyaku, you take Seiryoku, Jōchō the young girl." Sesshōmaru began to give orders. "I'll fight the Visored." It appeared that Megami was overlooked. Therefore, she had the option of choosing her opponent, at least when it all started. As she stopped, her hand rested on her sword, and she looked carefully at her enemies. She would have to pick one that she could counter quite effectively. It probably wouldn't be easy... but these guys were never expected to be a walk in the park. She was ready to face some obstacles, but was also willing to minimize such, if possible. Ahatake stanced himself, bracing for the worst, while the other matches launched themselves from the area to a setting to better suit their battle, leaving Ahatake, Megami, and Sesshōmaru standing in the rain. "....so much for that plan." Feeling slightly dumb that her theory had backfired on her, Megami turned her attention to the opponent left. She leveled her sword towards him, eyes concentrated in his direction. The rain would prove to be a bit of a problem, in terms of visuals and movement. But, at least the vision problem could be cured with spiritual sense, right? Still, it would be a bit distracting having to bear the rain that would decrease temperature. All in all, it was a perfect backdrop for fighting. Ahatake placed a hand on his face, and "ripped" it across, drawing on his mask with a demonic hiss. "Let's get this show on the road." To be Continued